


The Devil

by Opium_Smoke



Series: Collared [9]
Category: Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood & Manga, Kuroshitsuji | Black Butler
Genre: Gen, Manga Cannon AU, May contain spoilers, Psychological, dark themes, disturbing imagery
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-01
Updated: 2017-04-01
Packaged: 2018-09-13 21:56:07
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 8,629
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9143740
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Opium_Smoke/pseuds/Opium_Smoke
Summary: When the Phantom alchemist smiled that sweet angelic smile, it was hard to think of him as a dog of the military.





	1. Part 1

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: Please note this story is complete. However my beta/proofreader pointed out that for my readers who are more used to my shorter works might be taken aback by the length of this one. So I've split it into three parts, so the endings of each part might be a little abrupt.

‘Well, well, I suppose this can only be more evidence of the military police’s incompetence.’ That hated, mocking voice sneered from behind the Chief Inspector ‘How on earth did you manage to allow a Major General’s son to be kidnapped when you already had a tip off as to when it would happen. Are you trying to make a mockery of the military and police force?’ 

Chief Inspector Randal gritted his teeth before turning round to face the bane of his job. 

‘Good evening, Sir Phantomhive.’ He replied, growling at the serpent in human form before him. The Chief Inspector glared at the short figure in front of him, acting as if he hadn’t just insulted Randal’s competence. 

‘That’s Major Phantomhive to you.’ Ciel reprimanded sharply, the arrogant tone causing the Chief Inspector’s hackles to rise. 

‘I’m here at the request of the Fuhrer, as the Phantom Alchemist.’ The boy continued as if he hadn’t just thrown his rank in the Chief Inspector’s face. ‘The stalemate between you and the hostage takers has gone on for too long. Here is the documentation for me to take over this operation.’ 

The Chief Inspector took the proffered paper from the silent man who always accompanied the dark noble. Abberline couldn’t help but stare at the State alchemist. It was the first time he had ever seen someone who could do alchemy, let alone a state alchemist. From his limited understanding, Alchemy was the manipulation of physical material, something that was almost like magic. It was done by drawing images called arrays, but he had heard there were some alchemist who didn’t even have to do that. His mother had disliked alchemists, calling them unnatural. However Abberline couldn’t help but be amazed by them. His musings were abruptly ended by his superior shoving the sheet of paper.

‘Everything seems to be in order, Sir.’ Randal ground out. Curse the brat, who did he think he was strolling in here acting as if this was his operation. Well it was now, but the imp could show more respect and courtesy. Damn it, now he would have his superiors breathing down his neck about why the military had taken over the operation. 

‘What is the status?’ The young boy asked briskly, eyes scanning his surroundings. 

‘You’d best talk to the negotiator in charge.’ The chief inspector said shortly before turning away to order his assistant to fetch the “thrice blighted” negotiator. Looking at the Major in disgust, Randal warily watched the boy as he waited impatiently for his assistant to return. The orders on the paper made it quite clear that the brat would be in command of his men for the duration of the operation. Randal had a squad left, to manage the perimeter. The Chief Inspector was determined to make the most of his orders and get as far away as he could from that unnatural child as soon as possible. 

‘Abberline, Major Phantomhive will be in charge for the rest of this operation. You are to assist him in whatever way he requires while I secure the perimeter.’ Randal instructed his naive assistant.

‘Yes, sir.’ The ginger haired man replied, the sandy haired negotiator standing awkwardly a little distance away. With that the Chief Inspector stalked off, muttering under his breath. Abberline looked at the now smirking child in apprehension.

‘Well that certainly put the wind up him.’ The boy murmured, the words not easing Abberline’s apprehension in the slightest. Abberline’s attention was then drawn to the silent figure standing a few steps behind the Major who was talking to the negotiator. 

Abberline felt a sense of unease at the presence of the other man. When he tried to focus on the man his eyes seemed to want to slide away. There was something wrong with the other. Something out of proportion. He seemed perfect, yet there was an unnaturalness about him. He was too tall, his limbs just a tad too long, skin inhumanly pale. He seemed a statue more than anything else. Abberline felt the hair on the back of his neck rise when he realized the man was watching him, dark brown eyes staring back implacably. The eyes seemed to flicker, as Abberline watched in fascination. Suddenly the man’s too wide mouth quirked up in a smirk and the eyes turned deep red, glowing like the embers of a fire. Abberline took an unconscious step back in startled fear so fleeting, that a moment later he had no idea why he had taken a step back. The dark brown eyes were looking at him curiously, before their owner turned his attention back to the slate haired child in charge of the operation. With an uneasy shiver Abberline directed his attention to the Major and chief negotiator. 

‘...and the release of the leader of a terrorist cell. The only problem is that the terrorist was executed three days before the kidnapping. Contact was every three hours. It also appears the mental condition of the hostage is beginning to deteriorate. The few times we asked for proof of life, he seemed to be getting steadily hysterical, the last time he almost managed to give us information, although we warned him not to, on the number of men, but there was a scuffle and the line went dead. It’s been eight hours since then and several shots have been fired. I’ve tried to approach them a few times, unarmed and they’ve shot at me.’

‘Are there any visuals?’ Major Phantomhive asked, as he scanned through the transcripts of the negotiation rounds. The negotiator looked to Abberline, directing Ciel’s attention towards the nervous young man. 

‘Unfortunately no. The building they are holed up in is an old warehouse that was undergoing renovation, all the windows are either boarded up or have sentries on watch. We’ve tried to sneak cameras over, but it’s simply impossible, one man was shot in the shoulder.’ Abberline felt himself wilt slightly under the Major’s gaze. It was ridiculous, he a grown man of twenty six, being intimidated by a boy less than half his age. However there was something worn out in the boy’s eyes, that made Abberline wary; those eyes were older than they should have been, much older. 

‘We can’t be sure how many men are in there and we have no idea what the inside is like as a result of the renovations in there. We know that the builders have already put up a number of walls and two sets of staircases at opposite ends of the building. The staircases lead onto a scaffold round the room. Despite this we have tried to infiltrate the building with scouts, but none of them managed to make it into the building, all but one have been shot.’ Abberline winced, as the Major raised one eyebrow as if to say, didn’t you learn anything from the first time?

‘We did only send in four scouts, half the number the chief inspector wished to send in and they were equipped with military grade body armour, so none of the shots were serious.’ Abberline defended weakly. There was silence for a minute, as the two officers watched their superior nervously. Closing his single blue eye, one eyed boy breathed in deeply, before letting it out in a huff, shaking his head in exasperation. A slight frown creased his forehead as he hummed under his breath. His eye opened, its innocence contrasting dramatically with the sly smile on his face as he looked at the setting sun thoughtfully.

‘Perfect, this should play to our advantage.’ He murmured under his breath before turning to the suited figure next to him. ‘Sebastian, I want you to infiltrate the building and create a blueprint, take note of the men; appearance, distinguishing features, number, you know the drill. Also check in on that hostage and make sure he hasn’t completely lost it, reassure him if necessary and possible.’ The Major paused, blue eye tilting upward in thought ‘Actually, forget about anything to do with the hostage, you’ll most likely scare him further.’

The man, Sebastian smirked at this, bowing slightly. 

‘Very good sir. Will that be all?’

‘I also want the group dynamics and in particular if any of them are alchemists. Have I made myself clear?’

‘Diamond clear Sir.’

‘Go then.’

‘Yes, my lord.’

Sebastian still bowed, backed away from the Major. Abberline was rather puzzled as to why he seemed to be backing away from where the terrorists were holed up. To his disbelief the man seemed to melt into the shadows of one of the buildings and, with a final flash of red eyes, the last trace of him, he vanished completely. Abberline looked to the negotiator, who was a similar state of disbelief. The two men rubbed their eyes, blinking rapidly. There was no way that the man had actually physically melted into the shadows, it must be an optical illusion. Wasn’t there a state alchemist who specialized in illusions? Maybe it was some sort of alchemical trick. That had to be it. However that idea seemed to become less viable when he caught the half amused pout on the slate haired boy’s face.

‘Show off.’ The child muttered ‘But then again maybe not such a bad choice.’ Abberline was startled when the single blue orb fixed its gaze on him. The thoughtful expression the boy sported flickered as a corner of his mouth twitched up for a moment. ‘No need to look so apprehensive gentlemen, Sebastian should be back in about thirty minutes.’ The Major said a tinge of amusement in his cultured voice.

‘Well we may as well have some tea, while we wait for him to come back.’ Ciel said as he walked towards a building near the warehouse from which the negotiator had first emerged from. Trailing behind the young officer, the two men looked at each other questioningly, each daring the other to ask the question that both wanted so badly to know. 

‘S-sir,’ the negotiator finally stuttered.

‘Yes?’ The slate haired boy answered impatiently without turning round or stopping.

‘How did he disappear like that?’ 

‘Ah.’ Was all the alchemist said before he half turned round and cocked his head to one side. 

‘That’s a secret!’ He replied playfully, placing a finger over his plump lips, an angelic half smile on his face. Abberline felt his cheeks heat up at the mischievous boy, partly mortified as he felt his heart beat a little faster as the boy turned back round to make his way towards the negotiators building. 

§§§

The young alchemist was good company once he relaxed. The interaction between them was a little stilted at first, but after Abberline had finished debriefing Ciel on what the overall operations had been like so far, their talk had turned to the recent art exhibition held at the colosseum. The Major was well informed and at times Abberline forgot just how young he was until he looked over at him. They were halfway debating the merits of an up and coming artist when a wisp of dense black smoke drifted over to Ciel. Abberline and the negotiator leapt up in alarm as the smoke quickly expanded and solidified into the brown eyed manservant. He knelt at the feet of the alchemist who calmly finished his tea. The stunned silence was broken by the chink of the mug as the alchemist set it down on the table.

‘Wha- what just happened!’ exclaimed Abberline in fearful confusion, groping behind him for his seat. The alchemist looked at him coolly, and Abberline felt an unreasonable stab of fear as he looked into those cold blue eyes.

‘No need for panic officer, Sebastian has merely returned from his task.’ Ciel said calmly ‘Now sit down, you’re distracting me.’ He said before turning his attention to Sebastian 

‘Report Sebastian.’ The alchemist ordered. 

‘I have successfully completed your orders, young master.’ The manservant said as he straightened up. The young alchemist shot him a look of annoyance. 

‘Couldn’t you have chosen a less startling way of returning?’

‘Forgive me master, but I believe that time is of the essence, and you know this is the quickest way for me to return under the circumstances.’ The manservant replied with a slight smile. The assistant had seen many strange things in his life, especially when it came to alchemists, but this took the cake. 

‘How would you like my reports sir?’ The manservant asked still smiling. 

‘Numbers, group dynamics, roles and alchemists as verbal; appearance as drawn and blueprint as illusion. Reports in that order.’ The alchemist ordered as he set down his empty teacup.

‘There are nine men and two boys, one of which is a terrorist.’

‘So that makes ten terrorists and one hostage.’ Ciel clarified

‘Correct sir. There appear to be two groups of four each with a leader who reports to the main leader. Each group seems to consist of a sniper, hand to hand combatant, scout and leader. The main leader and the boy appear to both be alchemists. The main leaders specialized in metal alchemy and the boy in stone alchemy. That is all for the verbal report.’

‘Very good.’ Ciel turned his attention to the negotiator who jolted nervously. ‘Do you have any large sheets of unused paper?’ he asked. 

‘There’s some for negotiations recording.’ The negotiator said breaking out of his speechless trance. 

‘Good, several sheets would be appreciated.’

When the paper had been brought and laid on the table. The tall servant began to sketch out the terrorist’s appearances. However Abberline had never seen anything like it. The man’s arms were a blur; it was like his arms were those of the weaving looms in the fabric mills, moving from side to side revealing the image as they passed. As the servant completed a picture, the phantom alchemist studied them for a while before passing them onto Abberline. The officer looked at the pictures in amazement. The detail was so incredible they almost looked like photos. Abberline didn’t want to contemplate it, but he had a sneaking feeling that the mysterious man could make them look exactly like photos, if the smirk he threw Abberline was any indication. Ciel caught the smirk and frowned. 

‘Blue prints!’ He barked, handing the last paper to Abberline.

‘Yes, my lord. Please close your eyes.’

‘I suggest you do the same you two.’ The phantom alchemist said without turning round. The two men shut their eyes, only to open them in surprise when they sensed a change in the light. They stood there in shock, unable to comprehend what had happened. Somehow, they were somewhere else. All the strangeness that had happened since the arrival of the alchemist became too much for them and they panicked at their alien surroundings, trembling in fear and indecisive terror. 

Crates were stacked around them, some covered in rough sacking, the floor dirty with assorted debris. To one side was a wooden wall, water stained and thinly caked with dirt in places. On the opposite side was a studier looking door, the wall appearing to be stone or concrete. Their legs began to severely shake as they witnessed the young alchemist walk through one of the walls, his bloody-eyed servant following. They rushed to the door, but screamed in horror when their hand passed through the door knob. The two men’s screaming escalated when the alchemist’s head appeared through the wall, frowning.

‘Cease that racket immediately!’ He barked, a scowl crossing his features. His frown deepened as the men stood there frozen, their sanity only pinned together by the sternness of their superior’s orders. Ciel’s frown deepened.

‘You have been briefed on the alchemists billeted at Eastern Headquarters right?’ He asked the two deer-in-the-headlight men. They shook their heads. Ciel let out an exasperated sigh, muttering about incompetence and communication, before stepping back into the room as the two men surreptitiously began to back away, their eyes never leaving the young monst – man. Ciel’s scowl deepened as he noticed this.

‘Attention!’ He shouted stalking over to the two compacted rigid men. Automatically the two men snapped into a salute; the only thing keeping them from bolting was the iron discipline that had been hammered into them in cadet school. Ciel stood in front of the men. 

‘At ease.’ He said more softly looking each man in the eye. The men relaxed imperceptibly, but the adrenalin was still pumping through their veins, hearts thundering like the hooves of a hundred wild horses while they struggled to calm their frantic breathing. ‘I am Major Phantomhive, the Phantom alchemist. I specialize in the creation of illusions. What you are now seeing is an illusion. As we move through this illusion, we are actually standing round an empty table. Sebastian himself is an illusion, slightly different from most, but an illusion still. There is nothing to fear here. Do you understand?’ He asked making eye contact with the two nervous officers. For some inexplicable reason, both of them felt a little more reassured. They nodded stiffly.

‘Good.’ The phantom alchemist said, fixing them with his steely gaze. ‘Follow me.’ And with that he stepped through the wall. The men hesitated, looking at each other doubtfully before screwing up their faces as they walked forwards. There was a brief change in the light then nothing. The two men opened their eyes and looked about them in wondering confusion. Obviously they had taken the alchemists words as an order, but didn’t actually believe them. After all it wasn’t the first time they had to follow orders that didn’t make sense. 

Ciel watched them, one brow raised in amusement at their astonishment. ‘Surely you didn’t expect to feel anything from an illusion.’ He drawled sardonically, the hint of a smile tugging at his lips ‘It’s all in your mind after all.’ He turned his attention away from the men to the static hostages and kidnappers in the room. After several long moments of walking round the figures and through the open space, Ciel declared himself done and the room melted away as if it had never been there, once again startling the two men. Ciel sat down the tips of his fingers meeting in a steeple, as he rested his chin on them, humming softly he closed his eyes. There was silence for minute, the officers fidgeting, unsure as to what to do. The child soldier open his eyes.

‘Would it be correct to assume that you haven’t been able to make any person to person, line of sight negotiations at all, not even at the very beginning?’ he asked the negotiator.

‘Yes, and now they shoot at anyone who approaches them.’

‘You’ve been approaching them using the standard methods?’

‘That would be correct sir.’

The alchemist stood, looking at the late afternoon sun for a moment before turning to the two officers, a beatific smile on his face, the dying sunlight creating a halo around his head.

‘Well gentlemen, let’s get those hostages free. I’m going to need a long length of rope, a megaphone and something more bodyguard like for my manservant to wear. Also have the lights on standby for the hostages, and alert the medical team that the hostages will soon be released.’ The two men stood there in bewilderment. Mystified by the orders, the two men, went about procuring and carrying out the orders. They were not the only ones who didn’t understand what the boy alchemist was doing. 

Everyone else was also puzzled by the confident orders of the boy. How on earth was he going to free the hostages? The rest of the police force present had received no indication of what was going to happen, merely to stand down, and not do anything regardless of what they should hear. This last point was repeated a second time, accompanied by a steely blue gaze that sent shivers down their spines and set the dogs whining. Finally everything was set. The small alchemist walked off to the edge of the standoff area. Turning to the assistant and negotiator he smiled pleasantly.

‘Ah, could I please have your guns and holsters.’ He asked. Seeing their expressions of confusion he elaborated. ‘They’ll make my little performance more convincing.’ 

Still just as confused as before, the two officers complied, handing over the requested items. Handing them to his butler, the Major ordered him to wear them prominently. Orders completed, the boy takes a deep breath and strides confidently out into the open, his manservant behind him. The officers startled for a moment, crying out in alarm, worried that the child (because even if he is a Major, he’s still a child to them) will be shot. The cry is met by an icy glare, as the Major (child soldier) turns to face them, before walking forwards once more. They have covered half the distance, before a shot is fired at the alchemist. Faster than can be seen, the manservant shields his master with a disc of metal no larger than his hand, the bullet ricocheting. The two stop there, just within shooting distance of the warehouse. It seemed the megaphone would not be needed after all.


	2. Part 2

‘Terrorists, I am Major Phantomhive of the Amesterian Military. I have come to negotiate with you. As a gesture of good will my bodyguard and myself will put down our weapons.’ At a nod from his master, Sebastian unbuckles the holsters and drops them, pulling two slim knives from his boots. Ciel dropped the small pistol tucked into the back of his belt and the knife hidden up one sleeve. There is silence from the terrorists, but there is no more shooting either. 

‘Before we commence negotiations, we need proof of life that the hostage is alright.’ There was a pregnant pause, followed by movement from the warehouse. The door swung open, revealing a surprisingly well dressed man, fingering a hefty gun. 

‘Don’t even think about shooting me.’ He growled at the young military officer ‘There’s a sniper aimed at you, and my men have guns aimed and cocked at the boy’s head.’

‘We wouldn’t dream of it.’ Ciel replied with an amiable smile. ‘Would I be correct in assuming you are the leader of this group?’ The man stares for a while at Ciel, evaluating him before slowly nodding.

‘Good. As I mentioned earlier, we need proof of life before we continue. The last proof of life ended with the sound of a fight. Not long after gunshots were heard. I am sure you can understand why we are concerned for the hostage’s safety.’ 

Without looking away from the military personnel, the leader called back into the warehouse; ‘Bring him to the doorway.’ There was the sound of shuffling and the boy was suddenly in the doorway, tied and hobbled by ropes. Ciel frowned slightly. He was not the Major General’s son. How was he going to get them to release the real hostage, without letting them know he knew this boy was a terrorist? His frown deepened, his eyes roaming over the boy, before locking on to the meek gaze of the terrorist boy. A sudden though occurred to him and he dived into the barely protected mind of the boy, pleased with what he found there. The boy was already on the hyper alert, his system flooded with adrenalin. It would only take the smallest of nudges to make him look emotionally unstable; he was as taut as a violin’s E string. It was a gamble that might not pay off, but at worst he would be back at square one, trying to work out how to get them to bring the real hostage out.

‘What’s wrong?’ The leader snapped, tensing up at Ciel’s frown. ‘You’ve seen he is fine’ 

Ciel allowed his eyes to narrow thoughtfully, never breaking eye contact with the “hostage”. ‘I am a little concerned about his state of mind. The negotiator said that his mental condition seemed to be deteriorating as time passed.’ Ciel gave a little push to the over anxious mind. On cue the boy began to hyperventilate and panic as he found he couldn’t breathe properly, causing the terrorist who was holding him to step back in fear. The leader stared at the boy in alarm, not sure as to what was going on.

‘He appears to be hyperventilating.’ Ciel stated, with a careful touch of concern as he directed his words to the terrorist who was supposed to be holding the boy hostage. ‘You’ll need one of your men hold a paper bag over his mouth to limit his breathing until he calms down.’

The terrorist looked uncertainly from his leader to the military officer, afraid of the consequences should he do something wrong.

‘Do as he says!’ Snapped the leader, before turning his attention back to the military representative, unsettled by the condition of his underling. He wasn’t sure how, but he was sure it was all the military dog’s fault; the timing was all too convenient. The military dog now wore a pensive look of worried concern. Clearing his throat the military representative looked towards the leader.

‘With your permission, I would like for one of our negotiators to speak to the Major General’s son to ascertain his mental health, before we continue. The negotiator will be unarmed and won’t come any closer than where I stand.’ The terrorist paused uncertainly, weighing up his options. If he didn’t allow the alchemist’s pet to talk to the “hostage” it would look bad on him, plus it might arouse the suspicions of the authorities. On the other hand, it was possible that having the “hostage” and this negotiator talk was what the military dog was angling for, however he couldn’t quite figure out the purpose of this.

‘I’m sure this will be to your benefit, after all, a hysterical hostage can hardly be easy to deal with.’ Ciel said smoothly.

The leader of the terrorists smirked inwardly. The dog had revealed more than he realized; they didn’t realize the “hostage” was really a terrorist, the carnage he would wreak once the “hostage” had been saved. It really would be setting the cat among the pigeons. But one could never be certain what ran though the head of a military dog. 

The leader gave his permission grudgingly, watching with suspicious eyes as the negotiator approached and began to converse with the “hostage”. No one noticed the look of intense concentration on the military representative’s face as he stared at the boy. As the conversation between the negotiator and the “hostage” ended, Ciel moved to stand behind the negotiator, forcing him to turn his back on the terrorists. There was no way Ciel was going to let his little trick, fail because one of the terrorists could lip read.

‘The hostage seems fine now. He seems a lot calmer than when I first heard him on the phone. I think he’s adjusting quite well to the situation, so he’s calming down now. He also seems to be rather worn out.’ The negotiator reported in low tones.

‘You’re sure about that?’ Ciel asked allowing a frown to cross his face. The negotiator looked at him a little puzzled.

‘Well, yes.’

‘We’ll have to get them both out then.’ Ciel replied, to the further confusion of the negotiator. As the negotiator was about to leave, he felt a hand land on his shoulder. Turning to look, his gaze was met by that of the manservant. With a shake of his head, the manservant leaned over to whisper in the negotiator’s ear.

‘You need to stay for a while, your part in this charade is not over yet. Just play along.’ He instructed, unobtrusively guiding the negotiator to turn around as Ciel began to speak once more.

‘My negotiator informs me that the voice of that boy,’ Here Ciel gestured to the tied up terrorist ‘is not the same voice he heard in the background during the phone calls. It is a foolish and dangerous game you are playing.’ At this his eyes narrowed taking on a steely glint, as his voice became acidic with displeasure. ‘I demand that you bring the General Major’s son out immediately and stop playing these silly games.”

Uh oh, the negotiator thought, now he’s done it. The boy may have been from the military, but that didn’t mean he could that to intimidate the terrorists. The negotiator had been taught early on, to never antagonize hostage takers. He winced inwardly as the leader’s face began to redden. But the Phantom alchemist wasn’t finished.

‘I expected better of you gentlemen. So far you have appeared intelligent, civil and honest. I would hate for those estimations to be wrong. I want to see the condition of both hostages, before I commit myself to any negotiations.’ To the negotiators surprise, the leader seemed to calm down with those words, even smirking a little. 

‘Bring the General Major’s son out now!’ He called into the darkness. Another terrorist half dragged a rather battered looking boy, out of the gloom of the warehouse. Ciel nodded in satisfaction, before letting a frown cross his face.

‘What now?’ Growled the terrorist in exasperation.

‘How can I know that this is the real other hostage and not just another throwaway fake?’ Ciel asked. The leader spluttered in indignation.

‘Do you honestly think we have a troop of boys we can just keep substituting?’ He spat.

‘Yes.’ Ciel replied bluntly, looking the leader square in the face. ‘Consider it from my perspective; you cut off negotiations, then shot unarmed negotiators when they approached, then shot at me when I approached. At this moment you have a sniper trained on me, although we have dropped all our weapons. You tried to trick us into believing you only had one hostage, and that that hostage was the General Major’s son. Tell me why I should trust you.’

The leader remained silent. The silence reigned like a queen over the two parties, the leader and the military representative, locked in a staring match. Finally the terrorist broke eye contact.

‘What can we do to show you we are serious about these negations?’ He growled out reluctantly. Ciel remained silent for a moment, enjoying the checkmate of his opponent.

‘How about an exchange of hostages?’ Ciel said slowly. The eyes of the terrorist narrowed before Ciel continued. ‘Me for the two hostages. The two boys are obviously mentally worn out, it won’t be long before they start crying, and your men could do without the distraction as can our negotiation. One of them has already had a breakdown, and I won’t be surprised if the other one has one too. Plus I’m an actual military officer, I hold more direct power than either of these two boys, thus I make a more valuable hostage. It would also be easier to guard one rational, valuable hostage, rather than two impulsive, irrational and less valuable hostages correct? I would also imagine negotiations would be easier if we could actually talk face to face, rather than having to shout across an open space like this.’

The leader’s eyes narrowed further. ‘It sounds all well and good, but you have only highlighted the benefits to us. What do you get out of it?’ He asked.

‘I’ve been ordered to get the Major General’s son free, nothing about the way I go about it. If he is free, I have no more military orders to follow. What happens afterwards will be another matter entirely.’ Ciel said a mild smile on his face. ‘As further incentive, I’ll allow myself to be tied up and hobbled before we do the exchange.’ There was silence from the leader. 

‘Fine. We’ll do the exchange.’ 

Much to the horror of the negotiator, the alchemist’s servant produced the earlier requested coil of rope and proceeded to tie up his master, under the critical eye of the leader. Ciel made sure to wrinkle up his face in discomfort and grunt a couple of times, as if in pain; the terrorists would be more at ease if they thought him tied tightly, not that the ropes were tight at all. Brushing aside the concerned protests of the negotiator, the Phantom alchemist stood still as the remainder of the rope was used to hobble him. 

Satisfied with what he saw, the terrorist leader brought the two boys forward, giving them a little push. The boys stumbled forwards. Upon seeing this, the military representative began to take small but confident steps forwards. As soon as the boys reached the alchemist’s manservant, the tall man grabbed the alchemic terrorist and injected him with a sedative. The concealed flare of alarm by the terrorist’s leader was not missed by the Phantom alchemist. Surprised by the action the General Major’s son cried out in alarm. The tall servant merely smiled at him. 

‘It’s just a sedative. We would rather not take any chances since his breakdown earlier. It would be better for him just to rest.’ Soothed Sebastian. 

Ciel bit his tongue to stop even the hint of a smile from showing. That should throw a wrench in their plans; the reasoning was perfectly sound given the earlier hysteria, so the terrorist leader wouldn’t be able to tell how much he actually knew of their plan. 

Without so much as a backwards glance, the manservant picked up the terrorist before walking back to the temporary base followed by the General Major’s son and the two police officers. The negotiator followed more slowly, absolutely bewildered by the Alchemist’s actions; what on earth had he been thinking?! He was worried for the boy, the terrorists had dragged him rather roughly into the warehouse, before slamming the door shut. The negotiator shuddered to think about what they might do to the boy if negotiations broke down.


	3. Part 3

It was a tense three hours before there was any movement from the warehouse. The general’s son had collapsed into a faint when he had reached the military police. The other boy had been knocked out by the manservant much to the chagrin of the medical team on standby. The calmly spoken man explained that as the situation was it would be better for both hostages to be unconscious till negotiations with the terrorists were completed. Now the negotiation team were on tenterhooks, jumping at the slightest noise. Consequently the sound of screams and gunshots from the warehouse caused them to spring into action. However the Major’s manservant quickly put a stop to this.

‘Stand down.’ He ordered the officers, his dark brown eyes boring into the assembled officers.

‘But negotiations must have broken down! We have to go in and see if there is any chance of saving the Major!’ The negotiator cried, gunfire punctuating his words.

‘And the Major’s orders were for you to stand down and not do anything no matter what you hear.’ Sebastian reminded them crisply, standing at the edge of the standoff area. ‘As they are the orders of the highest ranking officer present, you must obey them. Have faith in the Major, my master knows what he is doing.’

As if on cue the screaming, shouting and gunfire abruptly ceased. An eerie silence fell over the warehouse, the attention of all officers present focused on the warehouse. With a bang, the door of the warehouse opened, slamming against the wall before rebounding off and juddering to a stop. Ciel staggered out, his once pristine uniform in disarray. Sebastian was by his side before anyone could blink, he was soon followed by the rest of the officers.   
‘Are you alright young master?’ Sebastian asked in concern, kneeling to straighten out his young master’s clothes.

‘Just peachy.’ Ciel replied sourly running a hand through his now dusty and dirty hair.

‘You can go in now.’ He said to the assembled startled officers, with a wave of his hand to the warehouse. ‘They’re all incapacitated. Watch out for bullet wounds, a couple of them might be dead. There’s bound to be a few of them injured as well.’ The officers swarmed into the warehouse. This was something that they could deal with, routine, unlike the uncanny alchemist. The young alchemist yawned, eyes scrunching up. 

‘I’m tired Sebastian...’ he whined, looping his arms round his servant’s neck and letting his body collapse against him. ‘Carry me.’ He ordered petulantly, much to the amusement of Abberline and the chief negotiator. The quartet watched as the terrorists were brought out from the warehouse. Abberline was puzzled and uneasy at the fearful and hate filled looks being directed at the small alchemist. However as the terrorists were brought out Abberline began to have an inkling of their fear. 

Two men were meekly herded out only to start screaming at the sight of Ciel, before they had to be restrained from trying to gouge their eyes out. Another terrorist was escorted out handcuffed, his stagger walk assisted by two officers. After several steps he fell to his knees, great heaving gasps forcing their way out of him before the vomit began to pour out. He was finally escorted away, bile running down the front of his grubby clothes. Abberline glanced at Ciel and was struck by the chillingly unrelenting expression on his face. He was as cold and beautiful as marble statue, his solitary blue eye just as dead, without a shred of human feeling in them. 

In that moment Abberline was petrified. 

He could feel the blood churning through his body, feel the steady rasp of air as it passed in and out of his lungs, and feel the stirrings of his entrails as they digested his lunch. Abberline was aware of every little movement of his body, right down to the trembling of his hands. As the last man was carried out, Ciel turned his dead eyed stare onto the two men. In an instant the marble melted away, leaving a tired petulant child. Ciel looked at the two men sulkily, from where he was perched in Sebastian’s arms.

‘Debriefing. Follow me.’ He said as Sebastian walked back to the temporary command base. The rocking motion soon caused the youngster to fall asleep, despite his efforts.

‘Young Master, we’re here.’ Sebastian said softly, attempting to wake up the drowsy alchemist.

‘Five more minutes.’ Came the mumbled reply. 

‘Young Master, once you finish the debriefing, you can sleep as much as you want. I know the alchemy has exhausted you, so how about some coffee? That should wake you up.’ Sebastian’s words earned him an irate glare from his young charge.

‘Tch,’ Ciel scoffed muzzily ‘I refuse to drink that poison. Make me tea.’

Sebastian sat his charge down on a rickety chair, before departing to make the requested tea. The two men took seats on the opposite side of the table. Silence fell over the three men. The Phantom alchemist blinked slower and slower, his head drooping down only to jerk back up. Finally his eyes closed and he slowly slumped to one side. The two officers shifted uneasily. What should they do? Finally Abberline pushed back his chair as he lent over the table to shake the alchemist awake.

In the instant that his hand touched the young Major he experienced the most horrific daydream he had ever had; one which would haunt his nightmares in years to come. The pitch black air around him was filled with sobbing and screams, that caused the hairs on his arms to prickle. As his eyes adjusted to the gloomy space he wished he couldn’t see. His fiancée was on the ground, her face streaked with blood and dirt, obscuring the luminescence of her face in the dimness. Her usually tidy brown hair was tangled, tears leaking out from her terrified and desperate eyes as they stared blankly up at him. A scream of pain instantly drew his attention to a short figure with its back to him. It held a small figure aloft with one hand, the small figure clearly struggling for air as it choked to death. In that way that you can only know in dreams, Abberline knew the dying child was his. 

With a cry of furious fear he launched himself forwards only to trip over something in the darkness. Looking back at what he had fallen over, his eyes widened as he saw the mutilated corpse of Chief Inspector Randel, small snake like arms with grabby hands taking him apart. A wet cracking crunching sound drew his attention back to his dying child. He looked in horror as the corpse of his child was dropped carelessly, to the ground and the figure turned around. Ciel Phantomhive looked down at him, coldly, dismissively, as if he were no more important than an ant. Without looking away from Abberline he dragged another red headed child into view, dropping it to the ground. The figure weakly, tried to drag its self-up, before a black booted foot crushed in back to the ground.

‘Papa.’ The word was no more than a whisper, but in the silent darkness it was a cry for help. 

Abberline tried to call back but found himself voiceless. He made to get up and save his child but his legs wouldn’t move. Dragging himself forwards, he was unable to look away from that cold blue stare as a gun was slowly drawn from the alchemist’s belt. Slowly it was levelled at the struggling figure under his boot, the trigger pulled, the blast of the gunpowder exploding echoing though the lifeless space. The cold soldier didn’t even flinch at the blood that spattered on his uniform and face. Casually, the Phantom alchemist tossed the gun onto the corpse before clapping his hands together in a mockery of prayer. As his hands separated deep purple lighting crackled between them, sparking with malicious intent. The gloved hands touched the ground and the world around them exploded. To Abberline’s horror, something began to take form in front of him. His stomach began to churn, as he recognized those loving blue eyes, the large meaty hands and flaming red hair from less than a minute ago. 

Turning to one side he was nauseatingly sick, the creamy acid scorching his throat making him gag further. His very bones ache with the violence of his heaves. Abberline felt bile scorch his throat as fear ran rampant through his body. How could this be?! This wasn’t natural! It was a sick perversion of nature, a desecration of his mind. The sweet voice of his beloved tore at him, yet it couldn’t be her. Abberline felt thin tendrils encircle his feet, winding their way up his legs. Two black boots entered his field of vision from where he was staring at the contents of his stomach. Slowly he looked up and screamed. 

Abruptly it was like someone had changed the slide in front of him. He was standing, there was no darkness, the single blue eye was looking into his own and he was touching the phantom alchemist. He jerked his hand away as if he had been burnt, the scream dying on his lips. The negotiator was on the floor, staring up at Abberline in bewilderment having been badly startled when the man had suddenly screamed. Unable to break eye contact with the unnatural creature opposite him Abberline stumbled backwards as it stood, falling over his own chair. He felt as if he was falling into that blue stare. Then there was nothing, it was as if he had been cut off from his emotions.

No pain.

No fear.

He felt empty. 

But he could still feel that fear. It was a funny thing, as if someone had switched on a mute button.

‘Sorry. It’s best not to touch me directly when I’m sleeping. My alchemy sometimes gets a little… out of control. I’m sorry you had to experience that. You probably got some of my nightmares mixed in with yours.’ The alchemist apologised awkwardly before sitting back down. Abberline stared at him wide-eyed, to shocked to even know how to respond. Mechanically he righted his chair and sat in it, the negotiator having sat in his a while ago. He noted the negotiators wary puzzled expression as he looked between the two of them, but he didn’t have the will to explain it to him. The Major sat there staring blankly ahead, the fingers of his left hand moving oddly. The two officers started to fidget restlessly, not knowing what to do now. Eventually they began to get on the young alchemist’s nerves.

‘Just sit.’ Ciel snapped irritably, causing Abberline to jump. ‘I’ll debrief you once I have my tea.’

As if on cue, Sebastian entered with a tray. Placing cups in front of the men and his master, calmly he poured tea into each cup. He handed a cup to his master, who took a tentative sip before draining the cup. He silently handed it back to his manservant, who just as silently refilled it.

‘Well gentlemen, there’s not much to debrief you on. Since a state alchemist was involved in this matter, this operation will be regarded as a military operation. However in the interests of cordial relations between the military and the police force, I will explain the operation to you.’ Ciel took back the proffered cup. 

‘I requested your gun, to give Sebastian the expected appearance of a bodyguard as he does not use standard equipment.’ Ciel looked towards the negotiator before continuing. ‘I’m sure you are a little puzzled about why I asked you such odd questions about the hostages. If you recall, you were facing the warehouse, while I had my back to it. I was worried that they might have someone watching who could lip read, so I asked questions to which I knew your answers could be interpreted as you informing me about the change in hostages, without letting them know I already knew who the hostages were. This was done to hide the extent of my own alchemical power.’ 

Ciel began to dump heaped spoonfuls of sugar into his cup. The brown eyed servant frowned at this and surreptitiously moved the sugar bowl away, causing the Major to glare at him. Huffily the Major drained his cup before going on. 

‘My alchemy works best when I have eye contact with my target. A hostage exchange appeared to be the most efficient way of achieving this. Once I was in, I had meaningless negations with the leader, while creating the conditions for chaos among them. Using my alchemy I caused them to panic and start shooting illusions. I then slipped out of the ropes and took out the leader by placing a suggestion in his mind to keep him docile. Then I left. Any further questions gentlemen?’

Abberline and the negotiator stared wide eyed at the fragile looking Major, unsure as to where they should begin. Perhaps it was better not to ask any further questions, they agreed silently, under the icy glare of the Major.   
§§§

Abberline watched as the manservant walked away down the street, carrying the small child soldier. 

‘He’s absolutely amazing.’ he commented to his superior, slightly awestruck ‘Even if he is absolutely terrifying.’ The naive officer added sobering, a tremor of fear in his voice before it evened out again.

‘To think that such a young child could take out the terrorists.’ He said before pausing for a while, frowning. ‘But isn’t he too young to be in the military?’ He asked Randall.

‘Don’t be fooled by him. That child is pure living evil; his blood is as corrupt as his soul.’ Growled Randall viciously. Abberline looked at his superior in shock. 

‘Excuse my rudeness, but that is bloody absurd! I mean, he’s still a child.’ Abberline weakly contradicted. The older man looked at his protégé sternly. 

‘I’ll pardon you this time Abberline since this is the first time you’ve met him. You have a lot to learn. Every society has its light good side and shadowy vicious underbelly. Both sides have laws, else chaos would reign. We the police, stand on the light side, defending the peace as best we can. We protect the ordinary people.’ Randall’s eyes narrowed at the retreating back of the dark suited butler. ‘That child may parade as a protector of the people, but he is worse than any military dog, he’s a creature of malice and merciless cruelty. He enjoys nothing more than deceiving and manipulating those around him into an early grave, as have all his ancestors. He probably enjoyed torturing those terrorists; making them do his bidding, warping their minds with fear and hatred.’ The chief inspector snorted in disgust. Abberline shuddered, a shadow passing over him as he recalled the terrifying daydream he had been subjected to. 

‘He doesn’t uphold the law as we know it and thinking that he can ever be “good” will lead you to an early grave. The Phantomhive line has always been unnatural. Alchemy is a science that affects physical matter; even the effects of air alchemy can be seen. However what that creature practises, is an abomination of nature. He manipulates minds. You can never be sure if what you do around him is of your own will or his. What he does is a violation of a person’s soul, he rapes the minds and wills of those around him.’ Randall spat on to the ground.

‘He’s like a wild dog on an invisible chain. He isn’t to be trusted, one day he will turn round and bite us. The Phantomhive family has been drenched in evil that has warped their motives and corrupted their humanity. Who knows why they do what they do? Can you imagine having the power to control the thoughts of every person in the country? Have you ever wondered at the relative peace we are experiencing?’

‘What do you mean by that sir?’ asked Abberline, startled by the question as well as taken aback by the sheer hate in his superior’s voice. ‘You haven’t been listening Abberline.’ The chief inspector laughed bitterly ‘You’ve been caught in his web already. They call him the Fürher’s Watchdog, but he is also one of the “Aristocrats of Evil”, the “Villainous Noble”, he rules the underworld, a creature of the dark.’

‘Now that is truly ridiculous. How could a child rule over murderers and thieves?’ said Abberline with a nervous laugh.

‘And that Abberline shows your naivety. You want to believe that there is good in everybody, that everyone can be redeemed. But there is no redemption for those who have thrown themselves into the darkness.’ Randel grunted in reply.

‘But even so he must be on our side; preserving law and order. If he were as evil as you say, surely he would have let the terrorists get away. He just used the means available to him to do so. He’s no different to us. There must be some goodness in him.’ Abberline desperately tried to defend the absent alchemist. But his words sounded weak, even to him.

‘You are wrong Abberline. He is in no way like us, he has no morals, all that matters to him is getting the job done. There’s never been any goodness in that family, only self-interest. They are the evil noblemen; the evil runs in their blood.’

‘Isn’t that a little too harsh, Sir? He is just a child after all; he can’t help the family he was born into.’ Abberline said in a troubled voice as the tall figure finally disappeared. Randel snorted and shook his head. 

‘That there is no child. That is the devil himself.’ He replied darkly.

**Author's Note:**

> AN (may contain spoilers for story and cannon): Oh god I hated this one. It just wouldn't end. I remembering smsing my beta about it; "It is the story that wouldn't end it just goes on and on my friend…" If you know the song, you’ll probably be able to predict the rest of the song. This one virtually turned into a story on its own. I almost lost sight of why I started writing it. The worst part was writing the negotiations scene between Ciel and the terrorists. The first draft was fine, since it was still basically in dot points. It was after that, that everything got screwy; I wrote the scene from Ciel’s point of view first, then I had to switch to how the terrorists would see it and add in the negotiator and Abberline. And then there was the complication of the terrorist “hostage”, I botched that so badly, that I somehow ended up with three hostages. It took hours to straighten that out. I think if I had to edit it again I’d cry. Really, I mean that literally… and now I want to cry since I have to do another partial edit. This had better be worth it. There is basically nothing in the manga about Abberline’s personal life, so I pinched his backstory from the anime even though I use the manga as the basis for this series. The last line is a direct quote from chapter 15, page 14. 
> 
> Conception Date: 29/9/2013  
> Completion Date: 15/1/2015  
> Secondary Completion Date: 3/2/2015


End file.
